


Ancient Rituals

by MizuLeKitten



Series: Forest Guardian AU [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Magic, Mind Melding With A Squirrel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2017-07-28
Packaged: 2018-12-08 06:25:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11640813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MizuLeKitten/pseuds/MizuLeKitten
Summary: Matt felt his body jolt as Marx’s magic tap at his well, and he nearly tugged himself out of subconscious. He was dimly aware of a voice, Lance, shouting something before he was immersing himself fully back in the magic.Marx waited for Matt to approach his own well of magic, impatiently swirling around Matt's. Coran had remarked that familiars were generally smarter animals, more aware of their being than that of the rest of their species. Marx’s patience showed that, his understanding that he needed to wait for Matt or else this would fail.Matt made it, poking once to be sure, and could feel himself smile despite how deep inside himself he was. They both plunged forward at the same time.OR: Matt mind melds with Marx the Squirrel





	Ancient Rituals

**Author's Note:**

> This SHOULD be read after Secret Admirer, but doesn't necessarily have to. It'll just... make a tad bit more sense xD

“Matt, are you sure about this? Coran did say that there was a chance it’d fail, and he didn’t know what would happen, since you’re human, not altean.” Shiro asked, brows knit in concern from where he stood next to Keith.

“Shiro, I’ll be fine, I _want_ to do this.” Matt laughed.

“But what if-”

“He’s been hanging out around Hunk recently, I think the anxiety is rubbing off on him,” Lance teased from behind Matt, his arms looped around his waist as they swayed side to side.

Keith snorted, giving Lance a once over. “Funny, I figured you’d be a literal mess if that’s how it worked. Hunk _is_ your best friend.”

Lance shrugged, not rising to the bait.

“Guys, please. I’ll be fine.”

Lance nuzzled into Matt’s neck, placing a small kiss there. “We know, babe.”

“We’ve just… gone through Altean rituals before,” Shiro whispered, not meeting anyone’s eyes.

Everyone froze, the silence in the room growing tense as past events were brought back. They had forgotten about it, or, more accurately, put it out of their mind. That month had been filled with so much pain, and anguish, that it was easier to just… forget. Now, though, as another ritual came up, involving someone they loved, it was harder to keep it in the backs of their minds.

Keith frowned, pulling Shiro into his lap. Keith looked dwarfed compared to him, but it was a calming gesture that Shiro used on them all the time. “Sendak’s gone now, Shiro. Nothing’s going to happen to Matt.”

“Plus, he’s got us there to defend him if anything happens. We won’t be defenseless like last time,” Lance said, a firm conviction further reinforced by the protective squeeze he gave Matt.

He looked at Shiro, pushing away Lance arms as he walked over to him, and kneeled down. “We aren’t going to force you to watch if you don’t want to. Would you rather patrol the perimeter? I’m sure some of the animals would love to help.”

Shiro looked unsure, mouth opening and then closing in hesitation. “Keith and I will still be with him, won’t we Keefer’s,” Lance said, trying to ease the tension in the room.

“Of course.” Keith nuzzled into Shiro’s neck, giving a small squeeze.

A small chitter interrupted them, and they all watched as Marx scurried over, climbing up Shiro’s leg, and sat on his knee. The little chirps got louder, as he talked to Shiro. It was like he was giving his own version of a pep talk.

Matt wouldn’t know. He couldn’t understand Marx. _Yet._ A part of him added. He couldn’t understand Marx _yet._ After the ritual he would.

Lance laughed, right in Matt’s ear, causing him to flinch, and even Keith snorted as Marx finished up whatever he was saying.

“Thank you, Marx,” Shiro reached out and gave him a small pat on the head.

“What did he say?” Matt looked up at his boyfriends, confusion written all over his face.

“Said that he’d protect you if anything happened.” Lance chuckled from behind Matt, softer than his first loud laugh.

Matt smiled at Marx, “Thank you.” He held his hand out and Marx climbed up it, affectionately rubbing up against his cheek.

This would be the last time that Matt would have to ask his boyfriends to translate for him, if the ritual went well.

They stayed like that, sitting next to, and around each other, offering silent support.

Coran walked into the room, a large smile on his face. “We’re ready when you are!”

Matt looked to Shiro, gauging his reaction. He still looked worried, tugging at his bottom lip. He leaned forward, pressing an innocent kiss to Shiro’s lips. “Do what you need to do, love.” He rubbed his thumb over Shiro’s thigh.

Shiro sighed, standing up and out of Keith’s arms. “I’m- I’m going to go patrol.”

Lance gave him a peck on the cheek as he walked by. “Ask some of the animals to accompany you.”

“Earl should be up and about,” Keith suggested. The owl was always a good, silent companion.

Shiro gave a small nod before leaving the room, mumbling an apology as he brushed past Coran.

Matt stood up slowly, stretching his legs, as he watched Shiro leave, before turning to his other two boyfriends. “If either of you want to go-”

“No.” Keith glared up at him. “I’m staying.”

“Me too,” Lance put a hand on Matt’s shoulder, the one not occupied with Marx, and giving a reassuring squeeze. “After all, who better to watch over the ritual then the original guardians, huh?”

There was a small waver to his voice, and Matt knew. He had _known_ how worried everyone was, but… he had to do it. He didn’t think he could stand the hollowing of his heart every time they had to translate for him, every time he was left out of a conversation. He’d rather take the chance of the ritual going wrong, then live out his life as a fourth wheel.

Lance understood that. Keith understood. Even Shiro understood. They had all had times where they felt kicked to the side, but they always jumped back. It was Matt’s turn to finally jump back.

Marx gave a small squeak, rubbing against his cheek again, as if reading his mind already. He turned to Coran, grinning. “We’re ready.”

~*~

Matt had been studying with the Alteans for awhile now, and it made him immensely proud when he recognized some of the sigils and ingredients that the ritual needed set out in the clearing. Coran had set most of it up, not wanting anything to go wrong, or have anyone have the chance to mess it up.

No one had been allowed to see it or interfere while he set it up, to the point where he had gotten a few badgers, stags, and coyotes to keep watch around it, forcing them to put aside their differences for the Guardian’s of the Forest and their mate. Shiro was probably walking with them now.

“Okay, Matt,” Coran walked into the clearing with purpose, pulling Matt along by his arm. Keith and Lance stopped at the border, not daring to infringe. “I need you to sit inside this circle, cross legged if possible.”

Matt nodded, carefully avoiding touching the different sized rocks that made up the circle, and sat.

“Now, Marx, if you’d come with me,” Coran held his arm out to Matt’s shoulder, where Marx was buried in his hair. He regarded Coran with a thoughtful look before scurrying up his arm.

“You,” he walked a few steps away to another circle of rocks, smaller than Matt’s, “will need to sit in here.” Marx chirped, quickly moving into the circle and tucking his tail around himself.

“Keith, Lance,” the two boys jolted, and Coran chuckled. After a moment he steeled himself, voice becoming stern. “I need you to stay right where you are, even if something happens, stay there. If you interfere you could ruin not just the ritual, but Matt and Marx as well, possibly even yourselves.”

They both nodded. Matt watched them, sending them a reassuring smile. Keith still looked tense, and Lance’s eyes betrayed his worry. He looked to Lance, a silent conversation passing between them, and Lance nodded. He took Keith’s hand in his, clutching it tight to ground them both. Some of the tension left Keith’s shoulder’s.

Matt hoped Shiro was alright…

A small chirp made him look down at Marx. Matt smiled, maybe his own stress was showing after all.

Coran walked back over holding several things, bits of grasses, herbs, and bright teal rocks, Balmera Crystals. He walked around Matt’s circle, scattering the herbs. He stopped in front of Matt, giving a reassuring smile, before places a line of Balmera stones connecting to Marx’s circle. He mimicked what he had done with Matt’s circle around Marx’s before walking out of the clearing.

Matt knew what he had to do. Coran had given him more than enough reading material, and lectures, to know exactly how the next steps were supposed to go. It was easier for Alteans, seeing as they had a high level of magic than humans did, but if he focused real hard, dug deep into his core.

There.

The small well of magic inside, a swirling bubble of greens and blues, mixing together to form a teal of sorts, reached out towards his mind’s eye. Matt dipped into it, surrounding himself in his magic. He needed to practically drown in it, so that when he made the connection with Marx it’d form fully. Without enough magic it’d fail, or worse, backlash and hurt them both.

The well of magic reached forward, breaching its normal confines and spilling out around him. It searched, moving through the air, for its conduit. The Balerma crystals pulsed, directing the magic towards it’s being. His magic easily flowed through it, feeding through the lines of crystals. Green, red, and a mix of blue spilled forth, colliding with his and bouncing off before circling his own.

It made sense, that Marx’s own little bit of magic matched his own so well. It explained a lot about how they clicked, how even though Matt was human through and through, Marx still was inquisitive enough in nature to wonder how a human had managed to mate, not one, but three of the guardians.

Their magic mingled a moment longer, before passing each other by. Connecting to the stream of magic wouldn’t achieve their goal. They had to merge at the source.

Matt felt his body jolt as Marx’s magic tap at his well, and he nearly tugged himself out of subconscious. He was dimly aware of a voice, Lance, shouting something before he was immersing himself fully back in the magic.

Marx waited for Matt to approach his own well of magic, impatiently swirling around Matt's. Coran had remarked that familiars were generally smarter animals, more aware of their being than that of the rest of their species. Marx’s patience showed that, his understanding that he needed to wait for Matt or else this would fail.

Matt made it, poking once to be sure, and could feel himself smile despite how deep inside himself he was. They both plunged forward at the same time.

~*~

He was told later that Keith had nearly ran to him when he had jolted, and it was only Lance holding him back that had stopped him then, but then he had screamed. Lance immediately let go, both moving forward, despite Coran’s warnings. His scream also brought Shiro charging full force into the clearing.

The only thing that stopped them was Coran grabbing Lance and Keith, physically pulling them back and throwing them to the ground, and Coran’s own familiar, a badger named Hys, barreling into Shiro and snarling at him. Shiro had been frozen on the spot, memories coming back tenfold. In hindsight, Matt's surprised how well he stayed composed.

Only when he had passed out did Coran enter the clearing, Keith and Lance frozen in shock and fear, and Shiro looking up at the jaws of a snarling 25 lbs (11 kg) badger. None of them dared move. They watched as Coran walked about, checking the circle of rocks, the line of Balerma crystals, Marx and Matt individually. It was only then that he had allowed the others to come forward.

Apparently they had immediately transported him home, carried bridal style in Shiro’s arms, Marx curled up in his lap. Lance and Keith turned, running ahead off trail in their smaller forms, to go home and prepare all the necessary comforts as Matt recovered.

It had been several days since the ritual, days in which Matt had been confined to bed rest, much to his displeasure. Luckily, Marx had stayed curled up by his pillow the whole time, seeing as the little squirrel also needed a rest. His boyfriends had taken extra care of him during that time. Keith hadn’t even argued with Marx once.

Now, with permission from Coran, he was allowed up and about. Shiro had asked that he didn’t go too far from the house without someone, fear of a relapse or something worse at the forefront of his mind. Matt didn’t mind when Lance and Keith backed up the statement, it just showed how much they cared. Eventually, he knew that he’d have to have a long talk with them about letting him leave, but for now he was content to stay in his office.

It helped that Marx was amazing company. He chirped on and on from a plush bed of sorts that Lance had made for him. He talked about the forest, the animals, things that had happened that he had wanted to tell Matt personally from when they first met all the way up to now. He really did remind him of Lance. A squirrel Lance instead of a fox one.

Part of him wanted to focus on the fact that he had missed all of this, all of these conversations, by not having the ritual sooner, by not _knowing_ about the ritual sooner, but every time that dark thought tugged at his mind, Marx tugged back. He forced the dark thought away, reminding him with soothing chirps and little kisses that now they could understand one another, speak physically and mentally.

He still couldn’t understand other animals, but that was okay. Marx already agreed, or decided without consulting any of them first, that he’d be the new translator for Matt. He had gone as far as moving his nest to the tree right outside the window to Matt’s office.

There was one thing, though, that Matt was still curious about.

“Hey, Marx, I have a question.” Matt asked, putting his pencil down.

Marx looked up at him from his seat, letting a chirp that loosely translated to, “Yeah?”

“What _is_ the Squirrel Incident? I know it has to do with why you and Keith don’t get along, but, like, Lance and Keith always avoid talking about it.”

If squirrels could grin. If squirrels could grin…

 

**Author's Note:**

> I fucking love this au, so like, don't mind me as I keep writing for it.  
> scream at me on tumblr at MizuLeKitten


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